Chapter 10

Draco looked at the Daily Prophet, sighed, and then looked back at his wife while he considered the question that the paper inevitably brought to mind. It declared that Harry Potter had been seen in Diagon Alley with a mysterious witch.

Ultimately, given that he'd been living with the kind of fame that surrounded Harry and Hermione- and to a lesser extent, himself, for a long time now, and knew that a headline like this could have serious repercussions, he decided he had to ask: "Should we cancel on Daphne and Blaise?"

She didn't look at him but massaged her temple with one hand as she answered: "And tell them what? That they can't see Scorpius because my best friend was seen with a woman and it made the papers? This is not an emergency."

Draco wasn't at all convinced that was true. Pansy still hadn't said anything to him about Potter, or their relationship, and he knew that the man in question hadn't said anything to Hermione either, but they'd stopped trying to hide the fact that there was something going on between them.

Hermione had continued to insist they allow them to let it evolve naturally and Draco, not wanting to argue with his pregnant wife, or start an awkward conversation with his best friend, was happy to oblige. Draco didn't care how they chose to conduct their relationship.

In fact, he preferred to stay out of it. That was until this morning. Potter being pictured with another witch- Draco couldn't identify the witch in question, but he knew Pansy well enough to be certain that it wasn't her- having lunch in Diagon Alley was going to become an issue.

And Hermione wasn't naive enough to believe that this news wasn't about to become their business, whether they liked it or not. Draco was both annoyed by the whole escapade, but he was keeping calm by reminding himself that there must have been a reasonable explanation.

Potter was nothing if not loyal to a fault. That didn't mean that this wasn't going to cause problems that Draco was almost certainly going to be dragged into. The man could not stop being a thorn in Draco's side.

As if called, the wizard in question walked into the room, baby perched on his hip. Draco knew he had arrived to deliver Meriella to them so that they could watch her while he attended his ex-wife's quidditch match with his sons, but from the look on his face, Draco also knew that Potter needed to talk about whatever was happening. Draco wondered if either he or Hermione would try and stop him from leaving the room to avoid this inevitably awkward conversation.

But then James and Albus ran into the room. James rounded the table and scrambled up onto the chair next to him. "Hi Uncle Draco!" He grinned, "can I have breakfast please?" He drew out the last word.

Well, there was no escaping now. Potter's kid had chosen to sit beside him instead of his Aunt Hermione, and while he knew that was probably a matter of Draco being more likely to allow James to sneak bits of food he wasn't supposed to be eating much of, it still pleased him.

James had accepted him into his life without any real question, started calling him 'Uncle' all on his own because 'he goes with Aunt Hermione,' and actually seemed to like him.

And despite the fact that James and Albus (and Teddy) basically had a room in Draco's home- it was technically still a normal guest room, but all three boys kept some personal belongings and toys there- he still occasionally caught Potter giving him a dumbfounded look when he watched Draco's interactions with his children. It amused Draco to no end.

"I messed up," Potter confessed quietly as he and Hermione got Albus and Meriella settled.

Draco couldn't help the snort that escaped, but he focused on his task of helping James plate up his breakfast.

"Thanks Malfoy, I came here for help," Potter snarked.

"I cannot even find the words to describe to you how much, I do not care," Draco answered in his best imitation of their late potions professor.

"Draco!" Hermione scolded, but even she didn't seem all that sincere.

"You own most of the Daily Prophet, could you not have prevented this from being printed?" Potter whined.

Draco could almost feel the atmosphere in the room turn colder.

"Is it untrue?" Hermione asked.

"No." Potter admitted with a sigh.

"Then no. I don't run the Prophet, day to day, as you know. But even if I did, I would not stop cold hard facts from being reported. There's nothing salacious here, just that you had lunch with a woman. Which you just admitted is true. Any other publication would have been much worse. Do you want us," she gestured between Draco and herself, "to tell our Executive Editor to back off of you? I'll do it because I love you, but you must see how incredibly hypocritical it would be? And I could even tell the society journalists to back off, but then you must realize it'll just be picked up by another publication. I've tried to make sure they're decent, they didn't invade your meal or shove cameras in your face; I assume as much because the witch hasn't even been named."

Harry seemed stooped for a moment, but then his posture slumped and he looked at Hermione. "No- you're right, I'm sorry, that wasn't fair."

Draco and Hermione exchanged a look, He shot her what he hoped was a reassuring smile, but didn't say anything and Hermione turned her attention back to Harry. "What happened?"

"Yesterday, Cho Chang stopped by my office."

"Cho Chang! That's who that was!?" Hermione buried her face in her hands.

"I know, I know," Potter answered, looking more sheepish by the second. "Anyway, she said she just happened to be in the area."

The look in Hermione's eyes could have cut diamonds and Draco was, for once in a long while, grateful he'd been raised to school his emotions. He absentmindedly scooped some more Nutella onto James' plate, as anxious as he'd been to escape before, now he was determined not to miss a second of this showdown.

"She just happened to be in a restricted part of the Ministry, in which she doesn't work in the first place?" Hermione asked, looking at Potter as if he was very slow on the uptake, which was delightful.

Draco watched Potter hold up his hands in surrender. "I know, I know," he repeated.

"What did she want? Because she obviously wanted something."

"She wants to have a D.A. reunion because the tenth anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts is coming up."

There was such a long pause that Draco wondered if he should say something, even though he usually left Hemione and Potter's quarrels to remain amongst themselves. But this had rapidly stopped being amusing.

Hermone's eyes lit, and she gripped the edge of the table, clearly trying to hold back her temper. "You have got to be kidding me! I know we have to attend the MInistry functions, but she seriously thinks that's a good idea, it's obscene! And has she ever met you? She thought you would approve?!"

"I don't know," Potter answered miserably.

"Nevermind, she's emotionally manipulating you that-"

"I realize that."

Hermione took a few deep breaths. "Harry, you know better than to take a witch into public on your own."

He nodded. "But I felt bad just dismissing her, and I know that she has a vendetta against you, and given," he looked pointedly at her stomach, "I didn't want to stress you out, I didn't give a lot of thought about the consequences."

Draco looked back and forth between them. There was a story here he had not been told.

Hermione stared at Harry for the longest time before burying her face in her hands. Eventually she peaked out over her fingers: "You're an i-d-i-o-t," she murmured, spelling the last word so that the children wouldn't repeat it. "A noble i-d-i-ot, but you are one nonetheless."

Harry laughed.

"I can take care of myself," Hermione answered.

"Of course you can, that was never the issue. Sometimes I just think you shouldn't have to."

"You know you have to discuss this with Pansy?" Hermione asked Harry, then she glanced at Draco. "We've been trying to respect your privacy but we aren't blind and it would be unfair for her to see this and then just not know what to think."

"Yes, that's why I'm here. I was hoping you'd watch the boys while I spoke with her."

"Actually, she'll be here any minute."

Harry barely had a chance to give his best friend a questioning look before Pansy came strutting into the room. And Draco knew Pansy, she was always well put together, but her appearance in this moment had been well considered, her outfit may as well have been armor.

"Morning Pans," he greeted, he wasn't sure why she was here, but Hermione had clearly been waiting for her. "You're just in time to hear about how Potter is even less intelligent than we originally thought."

Potter had been- mostly gracious- about his relationship with Hermione. And when Draco had read this morning's article and realized that he didn't doubt the other wizard, he also realized that he actually trusted him with his oldest friend. So, he thought he'd help him out a little. In the most insulting way possible, of course.

"Oh?" She wondered, smoothing out her immaculate trousers and taking a seat beside Potter. "I'd love to hear this story."

She glanced at Potter and Draco saw something flash across her face- hope and trust, and something he thought he probably looked like when he saw Hermione- flash across her face. He had intended to toy with them for a few minutes, but now he knew he couldn't do it. He looked at Hermione, who was smiling at him gently.

"We were just talking about how my friend is a noble-" she seemed to consider her words, "fool."

"Oh," Pansy repeated, glancing at Potter, who looked properly terrified. "How so?"

"Well he thought that I needed rescuing, when I clearly don't, so he took a witch who doesn't like me to lunch despite knowing it would be scandalous if it made the papers, to spare me the bother."

Pansy raised her eyebrows.

"Cho Chang," Hermione provided. "They went on exactly one date, Fifth Year and she will never forgive me for accidentally interrupting it."

Draco could tell that Pansy was trying to control her reaction, but like him, these Gryffindors had gotten to her.

"Are you serious? This goes back to FIFTH YEAR?"

"Right, like nothing has happened since then? It's completely normal to be holding a grudge?" Hermione answered in a sing-song tone.

Draco glanced at Potter who was looking at the two women with wide eyes, but then he flicked his eyes in Draco's direction, and in that brief moment it was like they immediately agreed to let Hemione and Pansy settle- whatever this was- amongst themselves.

"Well, F-U-C-K her," Pansy's attention abruptly turned back to Potter. "You're going to nip that in the bud, right?"

Harry nodded eagerly and didn't even try to disguise the way he took Pansy's hand which was laying on top of the table.

Draco looked away and gave James another rasher of bacon. And then he ignored the way Potter and Pansy slipped away from the table for a few minutes before Potter and his sons left to attend the quidditch match. It was thoughtful of him, really.

"What are we doing here?" Draco squeezed Hermione's hand, the view looked familiar, though he couldn't quite place it, and he also didn't understand why she'd brought him to a barren cliffside.

She tugged his hand, pulling him forward only a few feet and he felt the familiar warmth of her wards wash over him, and then one of his inherited homes- the one that he and Hermione had agreed they most wanted to use for a holiday house- was in front of him.

He blinked in surprise. '"What?"

"Please don't be angry."

He frowned at her. "Why would I be angry? I'm not, I just don't understand."

She chuckled, but it seemed self conscious as she gripped her belly protectively and turned away from him. "It's difficult to get something for a man who could buy himself just about anything he wanted."

He took a step forward and wrapped one arm around her, and placed one on her abdomen. "Well I disagree, but what's going on?"

She pulled away, without stepping out of his arms, then reached back to grasp both of his hands in hers. "I apologize, I'm just emotional."

"Okay…"

"The last year has meant the world to me, love. And you've been so welcoming, opening up our home to our friends and family. They stop by like it's Kings Cross. It's more than even I'm used to, and you're more private than I am. I appreciate that more than you know."

"Hermione," he called her name gently when it was clear that she was becoming worked up, but she was undeterred.

"But this is something I can do for you, a little sanctuary just for us. I've reworked the wards. We should reinforce them with your blood, if you're amenable, but otherwise they are fairly impenetrable."

She took a deep breath, and it was clear that she was nervous.

"Like I said," she continued to ramble, "there's nothing I could buy for you, but I wanted to do something to show you how much I love you and how much I appreciate our family and how much the past year has meant to me. This is my version of," she held up her charm bracelet for him to see.

He spun her in his arms and playfully butted her forehead: "This is perfect. Now, please tell me we can go inside and enjoy a little time together. Even if you just want to take a nap."

"Why do you think Pansy mysteriously appeared to look after Meriella? I know that I've been distant, and I'm sorry. I also know that you're still working on your trust with Daphne and Blaise so I thought this was a good compromise, that she would be around and it wouldn't look suspicious," she gasped. "I'm so sorry Draco! Oh gods was I way off? We can go back, I understand, I shouldn't have made this a surprise."

"Sweetness, this is a wonderful surprise. I was just, well, surprised."

"But we can go home if you're uncomfortable. Otherwise we have several hours…"

"Granger, for the love of Merlin, walk into the house," he growled into her ear.

"Excuse you, but you've mispronounced my name. It's Malfoy. MAL-FOY," She enunciated slowly.

At that he swung her up into his arms, even heavily pregnant she wasn't much to carry.

She snickered against his neck. "You're so predictable. Also," she sighed heavily and laid her head on his shoulder. "But I really do just want a nap."

"You're a predictably bad liar."

A/N: Happy birthday, Draco! Just to be clear on the timeline of this story, this actually happens in November. But I'm posting on his birthday, and Hermione got him a present!